America's Cup - Burling, Kiwis win two more to take 3-0 lead

by Bernie Wilson, AP on 19 Jun 2017 Jimmy Spithill and his mates with Oracle Team USA might need to start tapping out an SOS from the Bermuda Triangle.

The two-time defending America’s Cup champions are foundering badly against hotshot young helmsman Peter Burling and Emirates Team New Zealand, who are threatening to sail — and cycle — away with the oldest trophy in international sports.

The 26-year-old Burling calmly steered the Kiwis’ fast 50-foot catamaran to two more dominating victories Sunday to remain undefeated in the showdown on the Great Sound.

Although they’ve won the first four races, the Kiwis lead Oracle 3-0. Because Oracle won the qualifiers, the challenger started the 35th America’s Cup match with a negative point.

Team New Zealand needs to win four more races to return the Auld Mug to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland, where it resided from 1995-2003. Oracle needs to win seven to keep the silver trophy in the hands of one of the world’s richest men, software tycoon Larry Ellison, who has been watching the shellacking from a team support boat.

Racing resumes Saturday and Sunday.

Well-funded Oracle Team USA — Ellison is worth an estimated $55 billion — has five days to come up with some answers to try to counter the spot-on design innovations by the scrappy, underfunded Kiwis, who nearly folded after their epic collapse in the 2013 America’s Cup on San Francisco Bay.

“I think it’s pretty obvious these guys are faster and we need to make some serious changes,” a glum-looking Spithill said. “Today I thought we got off the line pretty well, but they were pretty impressive accelerating. ... Clearly we need to now put everything back on the table.

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